The Impact of India's Massive Dam Project on the World: The Future of Water Resource Competition with China

In the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, the government-backed NHPC is considering a massive dam known as the "Upper Siang Multipurpose Project (SUMP)" on the Siang River (the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra). The purpose is not only hydroelectric power generation (approximately 11,000 MW) but also water security, serving as a "safety valve" through storage and release against China's mega hydropower plans on the Yarlung Tsangpo (Medog) basin on the Tibetan side. Meanwhile, indigenous people, including the Adi, are protesting on a large scale, saying "the sacred river and our way of life will be submerged." The risks of a massive dam in a seismically active area, along with the lack of diplomatic and basin agreements, are also challenges. The Chinese side claims "no adverse effects downstream," and the debate is intensifying, intertwined with border issues. On social media, opinions are sharply divided between "national security should be prioritized" and "indigenous rights and ecosystems come first." The pros and cons of the plan have become a litmus test for "water politics," where geopolitics, climate, and culture intersect.